The students who emerged from her school were taught to be loyal only to her. The teachers were not at all reserved; they stated outright that the reason they could securely study now was because of Zhao Hanzhang.

These students also brought what they learned at the school back home to share with their families. Over time, Youzhou may only recognize Zhao Hanzhang and not Shi Le.

As the Governor of Youzhou, Shi Le still held his old mindset, believing that since he was the governor, the land was his and the people here belonged to him. When he was under Liu Yuan, people first knew Shi Le, and then Liu Yuan.

Why should he exert effort in managing Youzhou only to build Zhao Hanzhang’s fame and prestige?

But now, under Zhang Bin’s persuasion, Shi Le vaguely understood that today is different from the past; he can no longer view the relationship between prefectures and the court with a separatist outlook.

Zhao Hanzhang is not Emperor Jin, who could tolerate inspectors possessing private armies and acting pridefully; she isn’t even Liu Yuan, as her control over regions far exceeds Liu Yuan’s.

Zu Ti also acknowledges Fu Tinghan’s importance. Although he doesn’t know what treasures Qingzhou and Guangzhou hold to warrant a few months’ stay, he shows great consideration by dispatching Zhao Shi to eradicate the bandits in the area from Jizhou to Luoyang.

Of course, this came later; they received the message a bit late. By the time Zhao Shi set out, Fu Tinghan was already near Luoyang.

However, with the bandits cleared, the road eastward became much safer afterward.

This information was relayed back to Zhao Hanzhang in real-time.

Zhao Hanzhang allocated a separate building in the Imperial City for Song Xin, equipped with more than a dozen radio stations specifically for collecting information from across the nation.

Song Xin and his team translated, organized, and categorized them before delivering them to Zhao Hanzhang.

After going through them, Zhao Hanzhang smiled while reading the telegrams from Youzhou and Jizhou, "It seems Shi Le and Zu Ti have quite a few scouts out there. As soon as Tinghan passed by, they received the news shortly after."

She thought for a moment and asked, "Do we have any information from General Beigong?"

Song Xin replied, "General Beigong seems unaware that Mr. Fu is in Qingzhou."

A straightforward man indeed.

Zhao Hanzhang chuckled and asked, "Any news from the Tuoba Tribe lately?"

Song Xin replied, "Our caravans can enter Dai Country, but the Tuoba Tribe is very wary of Han people’s caravans. Miss, they likely know that we have the means to communicate with people thousands of miles away, hence their meticulous inspection of goods. We dared not take any radio stations in."

This thing is not easy to make; the materials are intricate and costly, so they cherish every single one of them.

Moreover, those handling radio stations must first and foremost be loyal; once exposed, they must prefer death over being captured. Otherwise, if the radio secret is revealed, this advantage might no longer belong solely to Zhao Hanzhang. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Bingzhou is the only prefecture with three radio stations: one at the Inspector Mansion, one in the Jinyang army, and one at the troop alongside Dai Country’s border. As scouts and intelligence agents return from Dai Country, their information is transmitted to Jinyang and Luoyang.

Song Xin reported, "We just received news that eight days ago, Tuoba Yilu ordered Tuoba Liuxiu to garrison Xinping City."

Zhao Hanzhang raised an eyebrow, "Now?"

Song Xin nodded, "Yes."

Zhao Hanzhang walked to the window and looked outside. Luoyang had snowfall last night, just a thin layer, but when morning came, the cold wind screamed and the frost was biting; one would think the cold in Dai Country must be bone-chilling with snow everywhere now.

She curled her lip into a mocking smile, "How many people did he give Tuoba Liuxiu?"

Song Xin replied, "Apparently, he only allowed Tuoba Liuxiu to take twenty-eight men, all being his close confidants."

"What about an army? Supplies?"

Song Xin answered, "None."

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but laugh heartily, slapped the window ledge, and motioned for Ting He to close the window, saying cheerfully, "With such cold, it’s warmer closed."

Zhao Hanzhang paused in thought and paced a little, thinking aloud, "After all, I am his aunt. Since my nephew is in such difficulty, it’s not good not to help. Communicate with the caravan stationed in Jinyang to make a trip to Xinping when entering Dai Country again and send him some grain, medicinal supplies, and cloth as a gift for standing on his own.

Song Xin agreed.

Zhao Hanzhang slightly turned to look at him with a half-smile, "Didn’t you say our scouts are having trouble in Dai Country? Then start from Xinping City."

Song Xin shivered, realizing what she implied, bowing in acknowledgment.

Looking back, Zhao Hanzhang lamented to herself, Yuan Li was still the most useful, but he couldn’t return yet.

It’s said that Jiaozhou and Guangzhou in the Lingnan region have been restless lately. Wang Dun intends to connect past Jingzhou and Jiaozhou and achieve control over Guangzhou’s ten counties to use Lingnan’s ethnic minorities against the Central Plains.

Zhao Hanzhang sneered inwardly; Wang Dun is crafty, knowing it’s not a good time to wage war against her, thus leveraging Lingnan’s unrest.

Are Wang Si Niang and Wang Xuan siblings not proactive? Jingzhou still lies between them.

The pity is Jingzhou is too vast; Wang Si Niang has yet to fully grasp control over Jingzhou counties, with some places farther away from Jiangling still out of reach.

The southern situation isn’t less complicated than the north; or rather, after Zhao Hanzhang’s sweep to unify the north, things aren’t as tangled, but the south’s matters remain unchanged.

Currently, it’s a state of everyone for themselves.

King Langya currently occupies Yangzhou and the Linhuai region of Xuzhou, with parts of Jingzhou also under Wang Dun’s control,

Back then before ascension, the former emperor was Prince Yuzhang, his fief being Yuzhang County; he trusted Hua Yi, and to vie for power against Prince East Sea, he carved three counties from Jingzhou and seven counties from Yangzhou, amassing ten counties to establish Jiangzhou.

Initially, Prince East Sea held power in court, appointing Wei Zhan as Jiangzhou’s governor; yet soon after, the former emperor replaced Wei Zhan with Hua Yi as Jiangzhou’s governor.

Nevertheless, Wei Zhan was reluctant to relinquish Jiangzhou.

Thus, as the former emperor and Prince East Sea battled ferociously, like life and death, Wei Zhan and Hua Yi clashed just as intensely in Jiangzhou.

Until this year when the former emperor faced downfall, Hua Yi advocated a northern expedition, aligning with Wang Cheng seamlessly, while Wei Zhan and Governor of Yuzhang, Zhou Guang, sided with King Langya, opposing the expedition.

Hence, while Zhao Hanzhang fought in the north, Wang Dun seized the land under the Yuzhang governor to murder Wang Cheng in Yuzhang.

This cut Hua Yi’s path for leading troops to support the northern expedition, leaving him stuck in Jiangzhou.

Now Jiangzhou is fragmented; half of Yuzhang and Poyang is under Wang Dun’s control, while Wang Si Niang occupies the other half of Poyang and Wuchang with her troops. Unless Zhao Hanzhang speaks up, she won’t return it to Hua Yi.

Of course, Zhao Hanzhang isn’t foolish; why would she let Wang Si Niang return it?

In addition to Wang Dun and Wang Si Niang, Wei Zhan held Luling and Lin Chuan’s two counties; a once great Jiangzhou, the inspector now governs less than half of the original counties.